New figures reveal more trains arriving on time in the East

December 18, 2020

The number of Greater Anglia trains running on time increased by over 16 per cent this year compared to last year, new figures show.

The Office of Rail and Road has published its latest Passenger Rail Performance results which measure how many trains ran on time between July and September this year.

The figures show that 85.5 per cent of Greater Anglia trains arrived on time during this period, compared to 68.7 per cent last year. These are the third best results of all UK train operators with Heathrow Express and TfL achieving first and second place respectively.

The rail industry is gradually moving towards ‘on time’ as a punctuality measure to give passengers a clearer understanding of how well their services are performing. It measures the percentage of recorded station stops arrived at early or less than one minute after the scheduled time. Early trains are classified as ‘on time’ and a higher On Time score indicates better punctuality.

Eventually this measure is intended to replace the current ‘Public Performance Measure’ – which counts trains as being on time if they arrive early or less than five minutes after the scheduled time for London and South East, Regional and Scotland operators, or less than ten minutes for Long Distance operators.

Greater Anglia’s Head of Performance and Planning, Keith Palmer, said: “It’s really encouraging to see that our on time figures have been improving as the industry moves closer to a transition to this measure.

“Across the business teams have been working hard to continue to run a reliable, punctual service for anyone who needs to travel and they have kept up a high standard even during the challenging circumstances of the pandemic.

“Our more reliable new train fleet, closer partnership working with Network Rail and other key suppliers and recent infrastructure upgrades are all helping to deliver continued improvements for rail passengers in the region.”

Greater Anglia continues to ensure that rail travel is safe for staff and passengers with an enhanced cleaning regime, on stations and trains, concentrating on high-touch areas such as push buttons, grab rails and door handles.

The train operator has also introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to maintain social distancing at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems.

It is now mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or illness which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them.